Pence and Kaine found common ground in support for community policing. Consensus is vital to create safe neighborhoods.

Moments of consensus are rare in politics these days. When they occur, we should embrace them. During the only vice presidential debate, Democratic nominee Tim Kaine praised community policing’s power to “build bonds of understanding” between law enforcement and communities of color. Republican nominee Mike Pence responded with a smile. “At the risk of agreeing with you,” he said, “community policing is a great idea.”

During Wednesday's final presidential debate before the election, their running mates would be wise to follow suit. We'd like to hear more support for this approach to make our communities safer.

The next White House must seize consensus that police and residents should cooperate and continue the Obama administration’s laudable efforts to repair rifts. But with discord and episodes of violence in the headlines, how does that really work?

Beyond words, make real investments

As a former police chief and a longtime community developer, we know that the path to meaningful cooperation can be fraught and indirect, especially in high-crime neighborhoods where reconciliation is needed most. The stakes are high, and real investment, not just words, is what is required. This begins with understanding why the relationship between some communities and police unravels.

Persistently high crime has less to do with law enforcement and much more to do with unemployment, blight, racial injustice, housing vacancies, failing schools, substance abuse and a maelstrom of other challenges. Police struggle to control criminal behavior, but residents don’t report crimes when they don’t trust cops. And gaining trust is difficult when crime remains high. That’s the vicious cycle that has reinforced significant, mutual distrust between police officers and communities.

There’s hard work to be done inside police departments and on the ground in high-crime communities, and all of it should be shaped by collaborative action, not just talk.

We need to challenge traditional and even modern notions of policing. Rather than warriors who combat crime, we need to empower police officers to be guardians of public safety and trust, and community collaborators. We need to rethink the flawed metrics used by law enforcement: number of arrests, fines and convictions. Youth development, community well-being, public perception of fair and impartial policing, just to name a few, can be part of a new set of touchstones for effective policing.

The Milwaukee Police Department, for example, has embraced collaboration, working with the district attorney, community groups and city agencies to examine the root causes of crime in neighborhoods where disorder and violence were seemingly intractable. Their strategy reaped tangible results, including a 23% drop in violent crime around hot spots over two years, compared with a 1% drop citywide.

Cars stand burned in the lot of the BP gas station after rioters clashed with the Milwaukee Police Department protesting an officer involved killing in August.(Photo: Darren Hauck, Getty Images)

Increasing foot patrols for officers is another method to build trust between cops and communities. Since 2011, the New Haven Police Department in Connecticut has put all rookie officers on foot patrol for a full year after they graduate from the academy. That way, these new officers strike up conversations with neighbors, build a rapport with youth, and become familiar faces in the community.

Work is needed from more than police

But police officers are just one piece of a larger network to create safe, stable communities. We need to involve more people in the process of working with law enforcement to clean up neighborhoods, including school administrators, housing development groups and service providers. That kind of unity doesn’t always happen naturally. In high-crime neighborhoods, people often retreat into their homes behind locked doors. They’re busy and stressed, holding down multiple jobs to provide for their families and are not always available to attend community meetings. Others are disillusioned from failed initiatives. But knocking on doors, getting people talking and organizing events is essential.

Cohesive community plans that include the police — but also incorporate a broad range of partners — can lead to better housing, better employment opportunities and better schools where kids can thrive. This joint action increases public safety and expands opportunity for the community.

We’ve seen how this can work. The Rundberg neighborhood of Austin is home to an exceptionally diverse population, including immigrants and refugees. The neighborhood was plagued with problems of substance abuse, prostitution and violent crime. Residents had not historically worked with law enforcement to address challenges. But the community got to work with the help of a grant from the Department of Justice. The community removed trash and other signs of disorder in hot spots for crime. Landlords and property managers came together to talk through issues from parking to family violence. Police officers spent time in schools, mentoring students.

And it worked. Violent crime fell by 15% in just 16 months. One crime hot spot saw a nearly 44% drop in crime. And residents say they feel more secure in their community. In 2015, 74% of residents said Rundberg felt safe for themselves and their family. The year before, just 41% said the same.

The consensus around community policing, in all of its complexity, is clear. But now we need action combined with a stronger bond between police and communities so everyone is safer.